India’s Global Capabilities Centres emerge as strategic engines amid global AI talent crunch

Firms globally grapple with an acute shortage of AI expertise. As a result, India's Global Capabilities Centre has emerged as a strategic solution to this critical business challenge. The artificial intelligence (AI) revolution has created an unprecedented challenge. While demand for AI solutions rises across sectors, the talent to build and deploy these systems remains critically scarce. Nearly half of executives cite a lack of in-house AI expertise as a key barrier to implementing generative AI, while 63% of surveyed IT leaders think AI and ML are the biggest skill shortages they are facing. Nevertheless, a strategic solution is emerging from India's evolving Global Capabilities Centre —which is rapidly transforming from peripheral delivery models into core engines of AI innovation.

From Support Centres to Strategic Hubs

India's Global Capabilities Centre's landscape has undergone a dramatic transformation. With over 1,800 such centres, India earned $64.6 billion in revenue in 2024. From conventional operational support to strategic innovation leadership- this marks a fundamental shift.

In recent times, it's no longer about building headcount offshore; It's about building AI-led capability—fast, secure, and production-ready. By building AI platforms, firms are transitioning from manual to intelligent operations in just weeks, not months. They are now becoming capable of solving real business problems using modular, scalable AI agents that work out-of-the-box for enterprise workflows.

This evolution reflects a broader industry recognition. The future of global operations lies not in cost arbitrage. Instead, it is visible in capability-building and innovation acceleration. Growth centres in India now spearhead advancements in AI, machine learning as well as cloud computing. Also, they are reinforcing their role in driving global digital transformation.

The Perfect Storm: When Demand Meets Opportunity

The timing couldn't be more critical. As Western markets face severe AI talent shortages, India's vast technical workforce presents an attractive solution. The nation's unique perks include favourable time zones for global collaboration, strong English proficiency, and a deep engineering talent pool - that can be rapidly upskilled for AI-specific roles.

However, the transition still faces several challenges. Skill mismatches where traditional IT professionals lack specialised AI competencies; high attrition rates among newly trained AI talent; complex regulatory compliance across multiple jurisdictions; infrastructure constraints limiting access to high-performance computing resources; and perception issues that sometimes relegate Indian centres to execution rather than strategic ownership roles.

Reshaping the Evolution Playbook

Leading firms are addressing the aforementioned challenges through systematic transformation of their operations in India. The new model focuses on creating AI-specific organisational structures. They are implementing targeted upskilling pipelines and pushing strategic responsibilities upstream to India-based teams. This is because the Global Capabilities Centres of the future need product thinking, not just process delivery. Firms are now building centres that own outcomes from model design to deployment. The transformation that can be seen now isn't just about technology; it's about reimagining how global enterprises can leverage India's talent ecosystem for strategic AI initiatives. Additionally, deployment speed is also significantly changed owing to this transformation.

Firms implementing comprehensive GCC strategies report significant improvements in AI development timelines and substantial cost savings. On the other hand, they are simultaneously creating sustainable career pathways for Indian AI professionals.

Beyond Technical Execution

The evolution of India’s Global Capabilities Centre extends beyond mere technical implementation. Modern AI-led centres are increasingly involved in ethical AI governance, regulatory compliance design as well as AI product strategy. This elevation from tactical to strategic roles is important for attracting and retaining top-tier talent who seek meaningful, high-impact work.

The regulatory landscape is also evolving to support this transformation. India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act is today driving the development of privacy-first AI architectures that can serve global markets. This positions Indian centres as natural leaders in building compliant, audit-ready AI solutions for international deployment.

The Innovation Multiplier Effect

Perhaps the most beneficial development is the emergence of GCCs as innovation multipliers and not service providers. Leading centres have started contributing original intellectual property and participating in global AI conferences. They are also releasing open-source contributions that benefit the broader AI community.

Furthermore, this shift is backed by improving industry and academia collaborations. Universities are adapting curricula to include more applied AI training. Not only this, but these centres are creating structured pathways for advanced-degree talent to convert into enterprise roles.

Strategic Imperative for Global Enterprises

As global enterprises face increasing pressure to implement AI solutions at scale, the strategic importance of India’s GCC continues to grow. The centres that successfully navigate the current transformation will emerge as key partners in the global AI ecosystem.

The question for multinational corporations is no longer whether to leverage India-based centres for AI initiatives. Rather, it has now moved to how quickly they can evolve their current operations to capture this opportunity. With the right approach to talent development, infrastructure investment, and strategic positioning, India’s GCCs represent perhaps the most viable path to bridging the global AI talent gap.

The AI revolution is creating clear winners and losers across industries.

Those who recognise and act on India’s Global Capabilities Centre opportunity may find themselves leading this transformation, not following it.

Views are personal. The author is CEO, SA Technologies (SAT)